US Men's Soccer Set to Face Brazil at New Meadowlands Stadium Today Fifteen players from the squad that led the U.S. to a first place finish in group play at the FIFA World Cup will be on hand to face five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil
News-Sports.net - Aug 10,2010 - After capturing the imagination of millions of fans across the nation with their dramatic run in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in June, the U.S. team gets a welcome back party at one of the gleaming new stadiums in the United States. Fifteen players from the squad that led the U.S. to a first place finish in group play at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 80 years will be on hand in front of a near sellout crowd at the New Meadowlands Stadium, where they will face five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil. Kickoff on Tuesday, Aug. 10, is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, Univision and ESPN Deportes Radio. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and twitter.com/ussoccer.
QUICK HITS
* The U.S. will be playing its first match at the New Meadowlands Stadium. With seating for soccer set at 75,000, the new venue is one of 18 included in the USA’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
* Fifteen players on the U.S. roster were part of 23-man group at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
* Twelve of the 15 players saw action in South Africa. Ten got at least one start and five players played every minute: Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
* Donovan became the USA’s all-time leader in World Cup appearances (12), and is the only U.S. player to score in three consecutive World Cup matches.
* His goal and the subsequent 1-0 victory against Algeria earned the team the award for ‘Best Moment’ at the 2010 ESPYs.
* Tim Howard earned a shutout in that match, the USA’s first in the World Cup since the team's historic 2-0 victory against Mexico in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea Republic. The shutout was also just the second for the United States in 22 FIFA World Cup matches dating back to 1950.
* Howard earned Budweiser Man of the Match honors for his six-save performance in a 1-1 draw against England to open Group C play.
* Bradley’s game-tying goal in the 83rd minute against Slovenia was his first in a FIFA World Cup and the eighth of his international career, and helped earn the point the U.S. needed to avoid elimination that day.
* With his start on June 12 against England, Robbie Findley became the first U.S. player to start a World Cup game for the U.S. after not participating in the qualifying cycle since Pablo Mastroeni started against Portugal to open the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Herculez Gomez joined that club when he started against Algeria.
* Eight players on the U.S. roster appeared in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final against Brazil, including six starters. Donovan’s spectacular goal put the U.S. up 2-0 in the first half, only to see the Brazilians come roaring back to
